Winter’s Tale: Ridding the Driveway Of That Dump Of Snow

by Ian Harwood on Thursday, October 16th, 2014

“With a good blade, you could get that driveway cleared during the commercial break and return to watching the game…”

 

 

We have had a beautiful summer but you just know we are going to pay for that as fall rolls into winter.

You no doubt have a trusty snow shovel but surely, it would be better to get in your truck and plow it out of the way. With a good blade, you could get that driveway cleared during the commercial break and return to watching the game. If you plan to buy a snowblade for just plowing your own driveway, a straight-blade will more than likely be just fine.

Snowsport offers a personal plow that is perfect for the homeowner. This system attaches to a front mounted receiver just like a boat trailer would. The U shaped bracket is connected to the receiver and the snow blade rides up and down on these bars to allow for change in terrain your plowing. Because there no hydraulics are involved, all you do is back up and the snow blade lies back skimming over the surface. When driving forward the blade automatically re-engages for plowing. When you are finished, you lift the blade back over the push frame into the transport position. The cost of this option is $1,644.

K2 is another brand of snowplow designed for the homeowner with acreage. Designed to work with a front receiver hitch, just like the Snowsport, it simply slides in the receiver and locks in place with a hitch lock. The winch is controlled from inside the cab and will raise or lower the height of the blade. The blade comes with a hardened steel cutting edge scraper, rubber snow deflector, skid shoes, and plow markers. It is available in 82”, 84”, and 88” lengths. Cost is $1,315.

If you use your plow to make money, then you will want to be able to do the job quick and efficiently, so you may want to go with the multi-position. Multi-position plows are up to 50 percent faster because you can reposition the blades to all straight-blade positions in addition to the scoop and V positions. This makes the plow adaptable to nearly any job you need to do.

When it comes to the composition of the blade you have the choice between steel and poly. The vast majority of snowplows on the market today come with steel blades, although the poly plows are becoming more and more popular.

The reason for the growing popularity is that poly is just as strong as steel and maybe stronger. They also have a lower coefficient of friction, which saves on fuel costs and is easier on your vehicle. The poly plows are also saturated with color all the way through so nicks and scratches do not show like they do with steel, plus they do not rust.

Attaching and detaching the plow is very important as well. You do not want to be freezing and trying to deal with getting a blade on and off your truck. Try the attachment system for yourself at the dealer so you can see firsthand how easy or difficult it is to use.

Most snowplow makers use a single halogen light bulb, which are not bright enough; some makers have come out with dual halogen bulbs with the option of upgrading to High Intensity Discharge. These HID lights are four times brighter than standard halogen bulbs and also last ten times as long.

Hydraulics is probably the most important part of the plow, along with the controls. Be sure that the hydraulics system is dependable and the controls are simple and easy to use. Go for quality rather than trying to save a buck. Remember “you get what you pay for” definitely applies here. Costs for these units are $6000 to $8000 depending on the model.

When it comes to the warranty be sure to know exactly what you are getting and what the warranty covers. Some only cover parts, while others cover parts and labor. Warranties are usually either one year or two years.

Contact: ian [dot] harwood [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca